But that doesn’t mean it’s not interesting to learn what the average age for first-time mothers is.

And according to ONS data, in the UK it’s now… *drum roll* 28.6.

This statistic is from 2015, and is the most recent we have. Interestingly, the average in 2014 was slightly younger, at 28.5. This suggests that women will continue to leave it later to start families, and that the current average could be even higher.

Last year, the number of older women (over 40) having babies overtook the number of younger women (20 and under) for the first time in 70 years, a trend that’s echoed across Europe.

The Economist reveals that in the mid-1990s, there was a notable age gap between women in western Europe, southern Europe and eastern Europe, but this has almost completely disappeared.

Back then, women in western Europe (including France, Germany and Sweden) tended to become parents in their late 20s, while those in the south of the continent (Greece, Spain and Portugal) did so slightly earlier.

Rochelle Humes was 24 when she welcomed her first daughter

Meanwhile, most women in countries such as Poland and Romania started families in their early 20s or teenage years.

What do you think of the research? Let us know over on Twitter @lookmagazine.